Nice Try — Or Why the French Riviera Still Knows How to Seduce
Frederick
Some cities dazzle. Nice entrances. Life here moves at a different rhythm — sunlit, sensual, and self-assured — a rhythm that makes you slow down and notice the details. The curve of the bay, the clink of a glass of chilled rosé, the soft geometry of Matisse’s lines… all conspire to remind you that pleasure can be deliberate, and beauty isn’t just admired, it’s lived.
We came for a weekend, expecting sunshine and a few good meals. We left with something harder to define — a resonance that lingered in the salt on our skin, in the corners of our smiles. Call it Riviera resonance.
Check-In with Soul: Hôtel Windsor
Tucked in the heart of the city, Hôtel Windsor feels like a secret. From the street it looks like any charming boutique hotel, but step inside and the atmosphere changes. A leafy garden shades a small pool, birdsong competes gently with the buzz of scooters outside, and every room is a surprise: each designed by a different contemporary artist, turning the hotel into a living gallery.
Here, art is not decoration but conversation — it shapes the space, sparks curiosity, invites you to relax. This isn’t just a place to sleep; it’s a place that reminds you to pause, breathe, and look around.
Golden Hour Above the City
Nice doesn’t flaunt its beauty; it reveals it. One of the best revelations happens at sunset, high above the city at Maison Albar – Le Victoria.
From the rooftop bar, the sea shimmers in that particular Mediterranean light, rooftops fade into warm pastels, and the air seems to thicken with possibility. With a Negroni in hand and the evening breeze brushing your neck, you understand why so many artists, writers, and dreamers came here before you. The Riviera doesn’t seduce with noise — it whispers. And you listen.
Dinner Like a Local: Acchiardo
No trip to Nice is complete without a deep dive into its culinary soul. Acchiardo, a family-run institution, delivers exactly that. Generations have cooked here, preserving the traditions of Cuisine Nissarde with reverence and joy. Farcis, stuffed vegetables bursting with herbs, fresh-caught fish, Provençal olives, local wines — each dish is a piece of memory made edible.
Jean-François Acchiardo himself makes the rounds, greeting guests with warmth that feels entirely unforced. It’s a dinner that leaves you full, yes, but also embraced by the spirit of the city.
A Morning of Culture and Connection
The next day begins quietly at Windsor with breakfast in the garden, where the hotel’s owner shares stories of Nice with a serene sharpness that makes you lean in. Soon after, Caterina, our guide and friend, whisks us off to discover her version of the city. At the Musée de la Photographie, we lose ourselves in an exhibit on oceanic life — images that feel both intimate and infinite. It sets the tone: meditative, expansive, and deeply tied to the sea that defines Nice.
Getting Lost in Vieux Nice
From Place Masséna, with its surreal sculptures glowing in the sun, we slip into the winding alleys of Vieux Nice. Here, the city is at its most alive. The scent of fresh focaccia drifts from a bakery, soap stalls splash color and perfume onto the streets, antique postcards wait patiently to be rediscovered.
Sunlight bounces off ochre walls, and every turn feels like a gift. In this honeycomb of streets, time loosens its grip. The best way to experience it is simply to surrender — to wander without a plan, to let your senses steer you.
A Taste of Heaven: Hôtel du Couvent
If Vieux Nice is a feast for the senses, Hôtel du Couvent is a balm for the soul. A former covent transformed into a serene five-star retreat, it exudes quiet luxury without any pretense. The walls are stone, the linens simple, the art carefully chosen — every detail whispers calm.
Lunch at the Guinguette is unforgettable: seasonal dishes that balance precision with ease, wines infused with delicate floral notes, and a dessert — a flower tart — that tastes like bottled sunshine. For a moment, you understand the temptation to take vows just to stay forever.
Climbing to the Castle
But curiosity always calls. We climb to the Colline du Château, Castle Hill, where Nice began. Though little of the castle remains, the panorama is the real treasure.
The city stretches below, framed by sea and sky. The wind tugs at your shirt, the sun warms your shoulders, and silence settles between breaths. It’s a view that humbles and uplifts at the same time.
Riviera Rhythms: Ice Cream and Sunset.
Back at sea level, the Promenade des Anglais is bustling. At Fenocchio, a legendary ice-cream maker, we taste flavors that surprise — thyme, rose, even violet. One more sensory kiss from Nice before a well-earned siesta.
As evening settles, Nice shifts into a different rhythm. Dinner at Sunset, right on the Promenade des Anglais, feels like a celebration in itself: shared plates of tapas, tender octopus, glasses of rosé catching the last light as the moon rises slowly over the sea.
Later, we let the night carry us to Waka Bar, where the breeze rolls in from the water, music blends with laughter, and strangers become companions in conversation. Here, the Riviera’s true cocktail reveals itself — a mix of freedom, flirtation, and just the right touch of salt.
The Art of Goodbye
On our final day, we walk — because in Nice, walking feels like ritual. The Musée Matisse, perched in the elegant district of Cimiez, is our last stop.
Photograph by Lydia Delectorskaya. Photo: Archives Henri Matisse
Housed in a Genoese villa, the museum feels like a love letter to the Mediterranean: bold colors, luminous light, and a clarity that feels like therapy for the eyes and the spirit.
There’s just enough time for one last swim at Castel Plage, where loungers line the pebbles like a film set. One espresso, one last glance at the Riviera light — and already, the return is being dreamt of.
Nice isn’t flashy. It doesn’t need to be. It’s fluent in elegance, in ease, in the art of making you feel present and alive.
Where to Stay: Hôtel Windsor for artistic intimacy, Hôtel du Couvent for quiet luxury.
Where to Eat: Acchiardo for tradition, Guinguette du Couvent for refined freshness.
What to See: Musée Matisse, Musée de la Photographie, Castle Hill.
What to Do: Walk. Taste. Swim. Linger. Repeat.
Bring curiosity, light linen, and a hunger for life à la Méditerranée. Nice will do the rest.
